Prison Walls by Kippy 'Troubles' Treble

Remember all them silver rings?

And all them perdy, flashy thangs?

And all them strings of telephone rings?

And endless nights with him and them?

Was cursin' loud such a sin?

And losin' my temper in a drunken night din?

Ugly prison walls

Barren prison tall

Ain't nothin' like havin' no one at all....

To see all the laughter comin' to an end

Not even a dog to call friend

Tell me honey baby, is it ever gonna end?

Now I see myself so bright

It's only me, myself and I

Searchin' for distraction from my cotton-pickin' plight

Ugly prison walls 

Barren prison tall

Ain't nothin' like havin' no one at all....

Years in prison life I wonder:

How'd I go so far asunder?

All that junk I pillaged and plundered!

All my sass is done and gone

But, Lord!  Now something's come!

I know myself now, honky tonk honey bun.

Jessie Velvet Byrd

Grandma, tell me something 'bout grandpa.

The man who's blood brings color to my skin.

She said child don't you ever tire?

I'll tell you the story just once again.

They called him Jessie

Jessie for the outlaw

Velvet for his southern drawl

And Byrd for the way he flew away.

He left his people on the reservation

To pick cotton in the hot Arkansas sun.

I was just a silly southern farmgirl

Thinking maybe, Jessie was the one.

We lay beneath the stars that summer season

Lost in a sweet lovers fantasy

I gave everything a girl could give him

And he gave something special to me.

They called him Jessie

Jessie for the outlaw

Velvet for his southern drawl

And Byrd for the way he flew away.

They came for him one night with shotguns loaded.

A bastard child he was forced to claim.

He left me with my heart and pride both broken

I knew my son would never have his name

They called him Jessie

Jessie for the outlaw

Velvet for his sourthern drawl

And Byrd for the way he flew away.

The Story behind the song

My grandfather was Jessie Velvet Byrd. We know very little about his heritage other than he was of Native American descent. Nothing romantic: we suspect he was Creole. When Jessie was in his fifties he got drunk one night with a couple of his buddies and ended up on a rail road track. A freight train plowed into his car killing his friends on impact and leaving him with traumatic brain injuries. One of his many offspring (he had been married four times) came to my Grandmas farm in Arkansas to see if my dad would possibly help in caring for their father. Dad wasn't home so when the young man approached grandma she pulled a gun and ordered him off the property. She never mentioned the incident to my dad. Jessie survived the injuries dieing at last at the age of seventy four, in a mental institution.

Queen of Everything Country

No gimmicks
No limits
Her heart’s in it
Committed
To Everything Country
She’s the Queen of Everything Country
She’s the Queen of all she sees
All she sees is her Everything Country
Country, try country

No gimmicks
No limits
Heart wound 'round her man
Good thing he’s her King
And good thing she’s his Queen
And good thing they agree
On Everything Country

Sunday backyard chillin’
Beer can grillin’
Pool-side sippin’
Time to slip in
Immersed in
Everything Country

Cares float away
As the music plays
Right what’s wrong
With the right country song
Keep strong with the lifelong
Queen of Everything Country
She’s the Queen of all she sees
All she sees is her Everything Country
Country, try country

Kids all raised
Country craze
Carried on by little grandbabes
Little cowboy boots
Little cowboy hats
A little country fun
At the old barn dance
Form a line
Now dance! Now freeze!
Y'all* lookout for these
Next little Kings and Queens
Of Everything Country

No gimmicks
Sky’s the limit
Her heart’s in it
Committed
To Everything Country
She’s the Queen of Everything Country
She’s the Queen of all she sees
All she sees is her Everything Country
Country, so try country

*All love and thanks to Daniel E for this suggestion!

Country Lyrics

I have written out the lyrics to two country songs I wrote a little while ago. The first song has a pretty unconventional structure as far as "country" music is concerned. It doesn't have a chorus. The second song is written in the style of late 50s, "to the point" honky tonk music. One of my personal favorites. Be advised that this song was written with my tongue firmly in my cheek. With that said, I can't help but agree with the point of view of the character in the song. Be proud of where you come from. Being from "somewhere" is one of the only certainties in life. If you would like...and for full effect, you can listen to these songs while following along with the lyrics. All you have to do is go to myspace.com/horsecapture and find the song titles in the music player. Hope ya'll enjoy!


"If You Show Up Late"

My stomach is in knots.
I see the men and their cots
Lining the church house floor.

If you’re late for the sermon they won’t even open the door.

As if things couldn’t be
Any harder for me,
I found out at the gate…

Even Jesus Christ turns you away if you show up late.

You can see it in their face.
To wind up in this place,
Just ain’t the life these men chose.

If they had for a fact, they would’ve packed warmer clothes.

These ain’t the steam-pot days.
Throw out all your rules and ways.
There ain’t one ounce of brotherhood left.

You get stabbed in the back for half of a cigarette.

I grappled the rails and
Andy came from jail.
We tread down ol’ Tulare street.

When I missed the line he saved me some bread and meat.

I had it in my mind to come back home.
But things hardly ever turn out the way you plan.
Those stones killed my feet every they touched down.
The softer the spirit, the harder the ground.
I wonder if they even notice that I’m not around.

Five o’clock comes too soon
When you’re waking up under the moon.
Sierra winds always blow the cold around.

You can choose the germs at the mission or the dirty ground.

The bottom, it’s easy to see
Is a hell of a place to be.
When you’re shit out of luck and have nothing left to sell.

Just a hope and a prayer you can hitch a ride out of hell.


"Southern Blood"

Ever since my maw gave birth to me
My life’s been getting shorter.
I grew up in a town so god-damn small
Every house is on the border.

My daddy looked me in the eye
And said, “You’re my second son”.
“But if you treat me with respect I’ll treat you like you’re my only one”.

It’ll take a thunderstorm across this land,
To move me from the place I take my stand.
It’ll take a hurricane or a flood, oh my lord
To wash away the southern in my blood.

My grandpa showed me how to find
Every back road on the map.
When a woman walks in to a room I’m in
I stand up and tip my cap.

The kids at school made fun of the way I talk
And my kind of clothes.
But if you make fun of my family, I’m gonna punch you in the nose.

Repeat chorus 3x

July Sub-Topic: Country Lyrics

July Sub-Topic:
Write lyrics to a country song.